The surname Felicani is a patronymic surname, created from the father's given name. During the Middle Ages, Italians adopted the patronymic system of name-making because it perfectly complemented the prevailing Feudal System. The name Felicani came from the Latin word "felix," which means "happy."

Felicani Early Origins

The surname Felicani was first found in Rome (Italian: Roma), the capital of the Kingdom of Italy, where Marcus Antonius Felix was a prominent member of the community, as he is known to have cleared the country of robbers.

Felicani Spelling Variations

Felicani Spelling Variations

In comparison with other European surnames, Italian surnames have a surprising number of forms. They reflect the regional variations and the many dialects of the Italian language, each with its own distinctive features. For example, in Northern Italy the typical Italian surname suffix is "i", whereas in Southern Italy it is "o". Additionally, spelling changes frequently occurred because medieval scribes and church officials often spelled names as they sounded rather than according to any specific spelling rules. The spelling variations in the name Felicani include Felici, Felice, Filice, Felise, Felis, Felisaz, De Felice, De Felici, Del Felice, Di Felice, Felicetti, Felicetta, Felicini, Felicioli, Feliciotti, Feliciani, Felician, Feliziani, Felicioni, Felisati, Felisatti, Feliciangeli, Felicitas and many more.

Felicani Early History

Felicani Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Felicani research. More information is included under the topic Early Felicani History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Felicani Early Notables (pre 1700)

Felicani Early Notables (pre 1700)

Prominent among members of the family was Giurarono Feliciani of Bologna was a part of the crusades in 1217. Enrichetto Feliciani was a member of government in 1291 in Bologna, and was also involved in planning...

Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Felicani Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

The Great Migration

Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Felicani or a variant listed above: Amantonia DeFelice, aged 26, who arrived at Ellis Island from Casoli, Italy, in 1907; Angelo DeFelice, aged 39, who arrived at Ellis Island from Vasto, Italy, in 1916.

The Felicani Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Felicani Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.